AMU Protests: Policemen Make Students Vacate Hostels, Arrest 21 Students Following Clampdown

As many as 21 people have been arrested in connection with the clashes between Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) students who protested against the amended Citizenship Act and police on Sunday, December 15. The police also issued orders to vacate all hostels of the university. The clashes have prompted the administration to postpone the examination and advance the winter holidays. The university is closed till January 5, 2020.

“We have arrested 21 persons in the matter. Named FIR has been lodged against 56 persons and others unidentified,” SSP (Aligarh) Akash Kulhary reported India Today.

Mumbai, Banaras, we all are one, we all are with #JamiaProtest #AMUProtest .#SCSTOBC_Against_CAB pic.twitter.com/XARX16mck6

— Nizamuddin Khan (@Nizamud44120499) December 15, 2019

Violence erupted at the AMU campus as students gathered at the Babey Sir Syed Gate, raising slogans against the police brutality at Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia University.

हिंदुस्तान की कब्र खुदेगी AMU की छाती पर

These are not students but Jihadis from #AligarhMuslimUniversity who want to instigate communal riots & break India on the lines of religion
After #JamiaProtest now #AMUProtest
Shame on these Anti National morons��pic.twitter.com/bkhuyZQGDW

— Archie (@archu243) December 15, 2019

According to Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi, in the evening, some students began pelting stones and damaging property, following which the police was directed to use force to bring the situation under control.

So called saviour for women i.e. Police is climbing to enter in Girls hostel of AMU. How can you expect security from these culprits. #AligarhMuslimUniversity #AmuProtest pic.twitter.com/oJziFJAbVA

— Nihal-ud-din (@nihal_ud_din) December 15, 2019

However, 21-year-old Shubhra, a Masters in Sociology student at the university, told The Logical Indian, “The students were protesting peacefully near the main University gate when the police barged in and began to fire tear gas.”

Look at police behavior, abusing students, pelting stones at students. Police are destroying students vehicles and hostels.
Welcome to new india. Enemy of students.
#JamiaProtest #amuprotest #JamiaMilliaIslamia #IndiaRejectsCAB#AligarhMuslimUniversity pic.twitter.com/bWSrMd498d

— Aligarh Muslim University Journal. (@AMUJournal) December 15, 2019

“Girls from the Begum Azeez-un-Nisa Hall also started a protest from their hostel premises and were later allowed to go to the university main gate, but they were sent back by the boys at the Medical Colony circle who told them that it is not safe for them to protest in the main area,” she added.

A former student of the university, Hiba Kakul, strongly resented the police crackdown in the university, and said, “The students were unarmed and marching peacefully towards the District Magistrate. Police had no right to barge into the university premises and violently attack them.”

She also added that the university authorities must have been involved in letting the police into the campus because entering the campus without permission is not possible.

“We will not stay silent. They will try to shut down our voices, but we will rise above it. They can keep beating us up, but we will protest against this injustice the government has inflicted upon us,” said former student body president of the university, Mashkoor Usmani.

Usmani also confirmed that the police had stormed into the Morrison Hall boys hostel and burnt down rooms. Boys were taken out of the hostel and then beaten up. Some of them have been taken into custody while around 30 boys are still missing.

View this post on Instagram

Police entered Morrison hostel, Aftab Hostel, Sir Syed Hall and they are brutually attacking students and fire tear gas in one of the room which causes fire in the room. This is the time AMU administration should choose the side , whether they are helping these goondas to continue with the brutuality on student or to step up and assist suffering students. I appeal to the student that If University adminstarion come in the support of Student than do take help from them. Remember that you are fighting with fascist regime and recognise your real enemy #AMU #JamiaMilia #Aligarh #ProtestAgainstCAB

A post shared by Maskoor Ahmad Usmani (@maskoorusmani) on Dec 15, 2019 at 11:32am PST

While UP Director General of Police OP Singh told media that they have not received reports of any vandalism by the police, there is immense outrage as visuals of police smashing bikes on the streets in Aligarh, firing tear gas shells from the main gate of the campus, have emerged.

Police destroying property. Not protesters. An effort to increase violence and malign.

#JamiaProtest #AMUprotest pic.twitter.com/1dJ29Q0556

— bhaiya (@khaufmai) December 15, 2019

Videos also showed police officers injured as students targeted them with stones. A number of students were also wounded.

Also Read: UP: Aligarh Muslim University Students Protest Against Citizenship Bill